Coal-chute.



PATENTED OGT. 13,1903;-

M. J. BRENNAN.

GOAL GHUTB. 7 APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1903'.

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Witnegses v wzwMM THE NORRI UNIT D STATES ili atented October 13, 1909 PATENT; OFFICE;

ooAL-cHuTE.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,450, dated October-13, 1963. Application filed June 18, 1903. Serial Il'o.162.12' 7. (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern:

Beit known that LMARTIN J. BRENNAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Forty fort, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Coal-Chutes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improved coal-chute adapted for separating slate, bone, and'other impurities from coal while the same is descending the chute; and it consists in the construction and combination of devices here-- inafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a coal-chute embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a detail elevation of the same on a larger scale. Fig. 3. is a transverse detail sectional View of the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view I of the upper portion of the coal-chute. Fig.

' indicated by the line a, a of Fig. 5..

In the embodiment of my invention'lprovide the inclined coal-chute l with a'chute 2 on one side thereof and with a plurality of transversely-disposed pockets 3 for the reception of slate, bone, and otherimpurities, which transversely-disposed pockets are also chutes, the bottoms of which are inclined toward the chute 2, said pockets or chutes 3 discharging into the chute 2. The said pockets 3 are disposed at suitable distances apart.

The lower portion of the chute 1 is divided into a plurality of parallel passages 4 5, three of such passages being here shown, the passage 5 being between the passages 4. Across the upper portion of the said-passages 4 5 extend the wall 6 and the wall 7, the latter being disposed at a suitable distance from the inner side of the wall 6 and at a point somewhat below the upper side of the said wall. Oppositely disposed inclined slides 8 are above the upper portion of the passage 5 to cover the upper portion of the said passage and to deliver material which falls upon them into the upper portions of the passages 4.

The bottom of the chute is formed by a plurality of inclined plates which are preferably made of iron or other suitable metal. Certain of these plates are rigid and others are pivotally mounted and provided with means whereby they may be ad justedto any desired I inclination:

The plate 9 at the upper end of the chute to which the coal is fed comprises the lower section 10 ;and the upper section 11. The

.lower section 10 ispivoted near its lower end,

as at 12, and is provided with a deflecting obstruction 13, which is of inverted-V shape in cross-section, the lower side of the said deflecting obstruction being disposed above the upper pocket 3. The lower end-of the section 11, which slightly overlaps the upper end of the section 10, is connected thereto by hinges 14 or other suitable means.

Apair of shafts 15 16 are disposed transversely of the chute'l, are journaled in suit able bearings, and are provided, respectively,

ing provided with 'arack'24, adapted to be engaged by akeeper 25. Said adj listing-rod is further provided with a handle 26, by which it may be readily operated. It will be understood that by this means the shafts 15 16 may be readily turned to dispose their respective arms 20121 at such an angle a's'will impart to the plate-sections 1O 11 any desired inclination. The bottom plate 27', next below the plate 9, is rigid The same extends from above the lower side wall of the uppermost pocket 3 to above the upper. side wall of the pocket next adjacentto the beforementioned pocket. It will" be understood from the foregoing that the plate 9 is adapted to discharge material into the uppermost pocket and that the plate'27 is adapted to discharge material into the next pocket.

A'cut-oif plate 28 is disposed above the upper side of the uppermost pocket 3, and the lower side of the said cut-01f plate bears slidf by one of the studs 37.

ably on the upper portion of the plate 27. The said cut-off plate is here shown as provided with a cross-bar 29 on its under side, the said cross-bar being in the present instance an angle-iron. A shaft 30, which is journaled in suitable bearings, is disposed transversely with reference to the chute 1 and extends across the upper portion of the uppermost pocket 3, near the lower side wall thereof. This shaft is provided at its ends with eccentrics 31, on which are eccentricstraps 32. The ends of the cross-bar 9 project through openings 33 in the side walls of the chute l and bear on and are attached to the eccentric-straps. A shaft 34 is rigidly attached either to the shaft or to one of the eccentrics, as the case may be, and hence is adapted to turn said shaft and the said eccentrics. It will be understood that by thus turning the eccentrics the upper portion of the cut-off plate 28 may be raised or lowered, so that the said cut-off plate may be disposed at any desired inclination. Plates 35, which are at the ends of the cut-off plate 28, form closures for the openings 33 in the side walls of the chute 1, and one of them is provided with a longitudinal slot 36. Said plates 35 are supported by the cross-bar 29 and the bottom plate 27. The cut off plate 28 is provided at its ends with studs 37, which operate in the slots 36 of the closure-plates 35. An adjusting-lever 38, which is here shown as pivoted on the shaft 30, is provided with a vertical slot 39, which is engaged Hence the cut -off plate 28 is connected to said lever 38, and by appropriately turning the latter the cutoff plate may be adjusted longitudinally to narrow or widen the passage in the bottom of the chute formed between the deflecting obstruction 13 of the plate 9 and the plate 27 above the uppermost pocket 3 to any desired extent. The levers 34 38 are in practice provided with the usual gravity lockingdogs 40, and on one side of the chute l is a segment-rack 41, which coacts with the said gravity locking-dogs to secure the levers 34 38, and hence the cut-off plate 28, at any desired adjustment. One of these cut-off plates will be disposed above each of the pockets 3, and the same is provided with the hereinbefore-described means whereby it may be adjusted. The plate 42 next below the bottom plate 27 is provided at its lower side with a deflecting obstruction 43, which is similar to the deflecting obstruction 13 of the plate 9.

In practice each alternate bottom plate of the chute is preferably provided with one of these deflecting obstructions at its lower side. The lowermost bottom plate 44 of the chute is provided with a deflecting obstruction 45, which is above the transversely-disposed wall 46, which forms the upper ends of the passages 4. (Jppositely-inclined downwardlyconverging bottoms 47 discharge into the upper end of the passage 5. A cut-off plate 48 is disposed with its lower portion above the wall 7 and is adapted to be adjusted to contract or widen the space between it and the deflecting obstruction of the lowermost chute bottom plate 44. This cut-off plate 48 is here shown as provided with a cross-bar 49, the ends of which are attached to eccentric-straps 50 on eccentrics 52, having an ad justing-lever 53, whereby the upper portion of the cut-off plate 48 may be raised or lowcred, as may be required. To move said adjusting-plate toward or from the deflecting obstruction 45,1 provide an adj listing-lever 54, which is connected to said plate by a rod 55.

In the operation of my invention the slate, which is heavierthan the coal,fed to the chute gravitates through the mass of coal during the descent of the chute to the bottom plates of the chute, and by frictional contact with the said bottom plates and owing to the nature of the slate the speed of its descent is retarded, so that the slate when it reaches the deflecting obstructions does not bound therefrom, but passes over them and drops into the pockets 3, which serve to discharge the slate immediately into the slate-discharge chute 2 at one side of the chute 1. The coal, owing to its concoidal fracture and the comparatively rounded character of its lumps, rolls, and its rolling friction is much less than the sliding friction of the comparatively flat bone and slate lumps, so that the coal travels much faster than the bone and slate and bounds from the deflecting obstructions over pockets without falling into them and continues to descend the chute 1 until it reaches the lower portion thereof. Such of the coal as is conglomerated with rock and forms the bone is heavier than the pure coal and passes from the lowermost chute bottom plate 44 into the passage 5, which serves to separately discharge it. The pure coal bounds from the lowermost deflecting obstruction 45 onto the inclined cut-off plate 48 and passes therefrom into the passages 4.

The adjustable chute bottom plates and cut-off plates over the pockets may be adjusted by the means hereinbefore described as may be required to render the chute effective in separating the impurities from the coal under varying conditions, as when the coal is wet or dry.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the prin ciple or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A chute having a bottom plate comprising an upper and a lower section pivotally connected together, the lower section having its lower portion pivotally mounted on a fixed pivot, and adjustable supports for the upper portion of the lower section andfor the upper section, to vary the inclination thereof at will.

2. A chute having a bottom plate comprising an upper and a lower section, the latter having a relatively fixed pivotal support for its lower portion, and said sections being pivotally connected together, and angularly-adjustable supports for the upperportion of the lower section and for the upper section, to

vary the inclination thereof at will.

3. Achute having'a bottom plate comprising an upper and a lower section, the latter having a relatively fined pivotal support, and said sections being pivotally connected together, angularly-adjustable supports for the upper portion of the lower section and for the upper section, and means to simultaneously operate said angularly-adjustable supports to vary the inclination of said sections at will.

4. A chute having a rigid bottom section, an an'gularly-adjustable bottom section, dis- 1 posed at a higher elevation in the chute,

spaced from the rigid section and having a deflecting obstruction at its lower portion, and a cut-off plate over thespaoe between the said sections, adjustable to vary the effective Width of said space and also adj ustable angularly.

5. A chute having bottom sections spaced apart, a cut-off plate carried by and having an extension of one of the bottom sections.

and movable to vary the efiective width of apart, a cut-0E plate to vary the efiective width of the space between them, a shaft having eccentrics to support and angularly adjust the cut-off plate, means to turn the eccentrics, and-a lever slidably connected to the cut-0E plate and pivoted on the said shaft, to adjust the cut-off plate over the'space between the bottom sections.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' MARTIN .J. BRENNAN.

Witnesses:

W. W. BRYDEN, H. O. ALLEN. 

